A respectful homage to Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa as paid & flashed by me on the f.b. on Dec.20,2010.

Bishwa Nath Singh


Can we recollect as who was the first Indian Chief of Staff that had led the Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947 and one amongst only two of Indian Army Officers to be decorated with the highest rank of the Field Marshal so far who had distinguished exchequer military career covering almost three... decades who had honor to be appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Military in 1949 and after retirement from Indian Army in 1953 he had served as a India's high commissioner to Australia and New Zealand till 1956 who had organized cultural events to bring the three countries together?. He was none else than General (later Field Marshal) Kodandera Madappa Cariappa.Let us have glimpse of his life in brief and pay our respectful homage to him!
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( Photo of General(later Field Marshal) Kodandera Madappa Cariappa
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Bishwa Nath Singh :
Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa OBE was born on January 28, 1900 in Mercara state, at present Karnataka State of India. He had his formal education in the Central High School at Madikeri, after which he pursued his higher education... at Presidency College, Madras. All through his academic life, he was a very brilliant & studious student widely loved by his teachers & colleagues. After the end of First World War in 1918, Indian politicians of the time raised a demand to sanction Indians to the King's Commission. He was selected to receive the King's Commission in 1919 with the first group of Indian cadets, and in 1933, was the first Indian officer to join Staff College, Quetta. He had honor to win the award of OBE in 1945 while serving as the Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General with 26 Indian Division in the ArakansIn 1946, he was promoted as the Brigadier of the Frontier Brigade Group. It was during this time that Colonel Ayub Khan - later Field Marshal and President of Pakistan, 1962-1969 - served under him. In 1947, Cariappa was the first Indian who was selected to undergo a training course at Imperial Defence College, Camberly, UK on the higher directions of war. During the traumatic period of partition, he handled the division of the Indian Army and sharing of its assets between Pakistan and India, in a most amicable, just and orderly manner.He was the first Indian Chief of Staff and led the Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947. He was then the Indian officer in charge of overseeing the transition. Post-Independence and was appointed as the Deputy Chief of the General Staff with the rank of Major General. On promotion to Lieutenant General he became the Eastern Army Commander. On outbreak of war with Pakistan in 1947, he was moved as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command and directed operations for the recapture of Zojila, Drass and Kargil and re-established a linkup with Leh. In all this, he showed tremendous energy in moving troops, against considerable odds and finally ensuring success. On being appointed as the first Commander-in-Chief of an independent Indian Army on January 15, 1949, he was instrumental in the integration of troops and turning an imperial army into a national army. His association with the Indian Army is spread over an unbroken period of more than twenty nine years, during which he had wide experience of staff and command work. After his retirement from Indian Army in 1953, he served as the High Commissioner to Australia and New Zealand till 1956.There have been a number of studies of the White Australia policy and some examination of white Australia's relationship to the new, multiracial Commonwealth that emerged after the Second World War. Drawing extensively on Indian sources, this article examines how Australia was viewed by him as India's high commissioner to Australia and New Zealand,. He had organized cultural events to bring the three countries together. During the period from September 1953 to April 1956 he sparked considerable controversy by suggesting that the White Australia policy ran the risk of alienating Asian opinion and undermining the Commonwealth ideal in India and Pakistan. He had maintained a high public profile throughout his stay in Australia and was widely regarded as one of the most prominent diplomats posted to Canberra in the 1950s.He was a widely traveled person .During the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars, he visited the front lines to talk to the troops and keep their morale up. Every Jawan of the Indian Army is inspired by his words. He always said that an officer is nothing without the soldiers. He gave the following credo to the Indian officers, which remains even now the guiding spirit. As a token of gratitude of the nation for the exemplary service rendered by him, the Government of India conferred him with the rank of Field Marshal in 1983. He had honor to be the member of National Advisory Committee of Planning and All India Ex-serviceman's League, and President of All India Council of Sports. He was very active and associated with many cultural and social activities till his end.. Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa had passed away on May 15, 1993, leaving behind all ranks & files of Indian Armed forces, Naval & Air Forces and people at large to condole his passing away. He was a man of sterling character with full of passion & wisdom. He was a strict disciplinarian all through out his life. He will be always cherished by all as a true soldier with full of patriotism. Let us pay our respectful homage and floral tribute to him and offer our humble obeisance’s to his lotus feet!
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Bishwa Nath Singh :
Our humble obeisances to the lotus feet of Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa ( Jan.28,1900- May 15, 1993) and Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw ( April 3, 1914 –June 3,2008) - those two distinguished Army Chief who were decorated with the highest rank of Field Marshal in our history of Indian Army in Post-independence era so far.!


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Mini Mary:  http://elevit.blogspot.com/2010/12/dia-mirza-photoshoot.html

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.Ramarao Pudi :
i still remember the tall ,dignified and majestic iron frame of Major General Cariappa when he visited Andhra Loyola College asking us to say Jai Hind in bold and powerful tones.....i was a student of PUC...i am so fortunate to see him so closely....thank you for remembering great Martyrs!
 
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f.b
Dec.20,2010.